He was a tiger on the basketball court.
even the best defense can't keep that tiger from scoring
Recent Examples on the WebThe singer sported a tiger print minidress adorned with crystals, beads and fringe.—Hannah Malach, WWD, 18 Aug. 2024 After its escape, the owl landed in a tiger enclosure, where it was killed and eaten, according to multiple reports.—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 8 Aug. 2024 In April, the Eurasian eagle owl flew away from a handler during a training session and landed on the ground of an outdoor tiger enclosure where it was eaten, according to an inspection report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.—Raven Brunner, Peoplemag, 7 Aug. 2024 Sumatran tigers are an island subspecies native to Sumatra and critically endangered, with fewer than 400 remaining in the wild, according to the Zoological Society of London.—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 30 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for tiger
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tiger.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English tigre, from Old English tiger & Anglo-French tigre, both from Latin tigris, from Greek, probably of Iranian origin; akin to Avestan tighra- pointed; akin to Greek stizein to tattoo — more at stick
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of tiger was
before the 12th century
: a large Asian flesh-eating mammal of the same family as the domestic cat with a coat that is typically light brown to orange with mostly vertical black stripes
2
: any of several large wildcats (as the jaguar or cougar)
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